IPL 2020, Match 4: RR defeat CSK in a high-scoring encounter

IPL 2020, Match 4, Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings - Rajasthan Royals won by 16 runs

Tuesday, Sep 22, 2020, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

All the talk was about the depleted Rajasthan Royals going into this game against the mighty Chennai Super Kings but Royals thumped Super Kings to register a comfortable victory in Sharjah. In what turned out to be a high-scoring encounter, bowlers (except Jofra Archer) from both the sides took a complete hammering!

After being sent into bat first, Steven Smith (69 off 47) and Sanju Samson (74 off 32) put on a brilliant show with the bat adding 121 runs off the second wicket. The duo ripped apart Piyush Chawla's spin bowling as they squeezed 47 runs off his first two overs! Once the duo departed, Chawla found his length and finished with figures of 1/55 in 4 overs.

Dhoni congratulating RR players after the match. Image Credits: DNA India

Rajasthan's top order provided a superb platform at the beginning on which tail ender Jofra Archer worked wonders in the final over! Archer had hit Lungi Ngidi for four consecutive sixes in the final over which helped Royals get to 216/7 in 20 overs! 30 runs were scored off Ngidi's final over and Archer remained unbeaten on 27* off just 8 deliveries which included four sixes.

In reply, Chennai had an awful start with opener Murali Vijay failing to time the ball! He scored a mere 21-ball 21 which did not help at all for Chennai's cause! The notable contribution for CSK had once again come from Faf Du Plessis who registered a 29-ball half-century as he made a quick-fire score of 72 runs off just 37 deliveries (1 four and 7 sixes).

The contributions from other CSK batsmen was not in line with the Required run rate at any stage and in the end CSK had to bag a defeat by 16 runs! Royals batsman Sanju Samson had been adjudged as the 'Player of the Match' for his crucial contribution with the bat at the top.

Brief Scores: Rajasthan Royals - 216/7 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson - 74, Steven Smith - 69, Sam Curran - 3/33, Deepak Chahar - 1/31) defeated Chennai Super Kings - 200/6 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis - 72, Shane Watson - 33, Rahul Tewatia - 3/37, Jofra Archer - 1/26) by a margin of 16 runs